BOSTON -- A New Bedford city worker was seriously injured Wednesday when a tractor-trailer struck a bucket truck he was working in.

The victim, a 54-year-old New Bedford man, was painting traffic signal lights at the intersection of Purchase and Hillman Streets at the time.

A tractor-trailer was traveling south on Purchase Street and never saw the bucket truck's support arm extended or the city worker inside the bucket, who was suspended about 30 feet above the intersection, according to police.

The tractor-trailer struck the support arm, shearing it in half and catapulted the victim from the bucket into the air and ultimately onto the roadway 30 feet below in the middle of the intersection.

The victim was taken to St. Luke's Hospital in New Bedford.